Secondary Gains

Image found here

People do some ridiculous things to get attention.  They act absurd.  They make a fool of themselves.  They harm their images, their loved ones, their bodies, and their psyches, all for the sake of recognition.  But we live in a paradoxical world where a little bit of attention is never enough.

Being the focal point of the moment seems to fill just enough of the void to remind us that one was ever  there.  It brings about panic at the thought that we might have to deal with ourselves for even for a short period of time.  The thought is so unbearable, that we can't even begin to process or cope with the idea.  So we do the only thing that's ever abated this particular breed of anxiety.  Something.  Anything, to remind us we're not alone.  We act in ways to remind others that we are important enough to notice, because we can't even begin to remind ourselves of that.